Log splitting and cutting machine



Nov. 15, 1966 o. c. FULLER LOG SPLITTING AND CUTTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 18, 1963 JmJnnviq/ 33 [75:52" E. FuZZEr 1966 o. c. FULLER LOG SPLITTING AND CUTTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 18, 1963 I W will! I/fllmw o. c. FULLER 3,285,304

LOG SPLITTING AND CUTTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 18, 1963 29 WNW ll I? 26 Nov. 15, 1966 o. c. FULLER 3,285,304

LOG SPLITTING AND CUTTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 18, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 111/29 E XZHI-ALH 5 L JHA E \hmzgi rzzg I;

ZIA NAK EA 797324? Nov. 15, 1966 o. c. FULLER LOG SPLITTING AND CUTTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 18, 1963 Nov. 15, 1966 i o. c. FULLER 6 AND CUTTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 18, 1963 United States Patent 3,285,304 LOG SPLITTIN G AND CUTTING MACHINE Oliver C. Fuller, Milwaukee, Wis., assiguor to Clyde H. Fuller, Milwaukee, Wis. Filed Nov. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 324,422 12 Claims. (Cl. 144-193) This invention relates to wood splitting and cutting machines and refers more particularly to machines that are especially suitable for the splitting of logs into pieces suitable for fireplace fuel.

The machine of this invention is in the nature of a guillotine, with a knife mounted to be moved downwardly toward a base upon which the log or piece of wood to be split is set, and the invention 'has as its purpose toprovide an improved machine of this type.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a wood or log splitting and cutting machine which may be readily transported from place to place and which is easily adjusted to accommodate different sized logs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the character described wherein a hydraulic motor, specifically a hydraulic ram, drives the cutting knife into the log under the control of the operator who simply manipulates a control valve conveniently located on the machine and connected between the hydraulic ram and a fluid pressure source, which is also mounted on the machine.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a machine for the purpose set forth, wherein a relatively short stroke of the knife completely splits the log, and does so without requiring a large costly power source to drive the knife into the log.

A further object of this invention is to provide a log splitting and cutting machine which may be used not only to split logs and pieces of wood that have been previously cut to fireplace length, but also to split longer logs into rails for rail fencing, and to cut branches and pieces of wood which are not so thick as to require splitting, across the grain, into shorter lengths; and which machine may be quickly and easily converted from one use to another.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrates one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention, constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the log splitting machine of this invention, illustrating the same in its erect position of use;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary detail view of part of the frame structure of the machine with parts broken away and in section;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective View of the splitting knife or wedge, and the portion of the cross head to which it is secured, illustrating these parts separated for clarity;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary bottom view of the knife or wedge and the underside of the adjacent portion of the cross head, to show that the knife may be mounted on the cross head in either of two positions at right angles to one another;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the machine in its transport position;

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FIGURE 6 is a diagram illustrating the shape and proportional relationships of the knife or wedge;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the cutting knife assembly which is substituted for the splitting knife when the machine is to be used to cut branches and pieces across the grain, into shorter sections;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of a knife assembly shown in FIGURE 7, but with th parts thereof separated from one another;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the essential elements of another cutting knife assembly for cutting across the grain; and

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the machine is used to split longer logs into rails for rail fencing.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts through the several views, the numeral 10 designates generally the main frame of the machine. The frame consists of two spaced parallel rails 11 connected at their opposite end portions by cross members 12 and 13. For a purpose to be later described, the rails 11 are adjustable in length so as to permit the cross members 12 and 13 to be spaced apart a selected distance.

The cross member 13 provides an anvil 14 to support the log or piece of wood as it is being split. The splitting is done by a wedge-shaped knife 16 which is carried by a cross head 17, with its cutting edge facing the anvil, and hence downwardly when the machine is set up for use with its frame vertical.

The cross head 17 is slidably mounted on the parallel rails 11 for movement toward and from the anvil, and to drive the knife into the log a hydraulic ram 18 is connected between the cross head 17 and the cross member 12. Hydraulic pressure for operation of the ram is derived from a power pack, indicated generally by the numeral 20, which is detachably mounted on the frame, preferably by being bolted to a pair of arms 21 which are secured to and project from one end of the cross member 13.

To enable the machine to be readily transported from place to-place, wheels 22 are mounted on the frame and so located that when the machine is in its upright position of use shown in FIGURE 1, the wheels are off the ground, but when the machine is in its transport position shown in FIGURE 5, the wheels so support the machine that all parts thereof are off the ground. A trailer hitch 23 fixed to the cross member 12 enables the machine to be attached to an automobile or other vehicle, to permit the same to be pulled trailerwise.

Inasmuch as the prime mover of the power pack 20 is a single cylinder internal combustion engine 24, which should not be turned on its side, it is preferable to remove the power pack from the machine frame when the machine is to be transported.

The cross head 17 consists essentially of a piece of channel iron with tubes 25 welded to its end portions. The tubes 25 are of a diameter to slidably fit the rails 11 which preferably also consist of lengths of tubing, and to afford greater rigidity for the cross head, reinforcing plates 26 are preferably welded to the edges of its flanges at the end portions thereof, and the tubes 25 project through the web of the channel and are also welded to the reinforcing plates 26.

The connection between the rails 11 and the cross members 13 is conveniently formed by welding short lengths of tubing 28 to the cross member and stepping the adjacent ends of the rails 11 into these short tubes where they are secured by bolts 29 passing diametrically through the tubes 28 and the rails 11, or in any other suitable manner.

The ram 18 is of conventional construction and comprises a cylinder 30 with a piston operating therein. The cylinder is attached to the cross member 12, and the piston is connected to the cross head through its rod 31. Obviously, therefore, the ram provides means for raising and lowering the cross head or, in other words, moving it rectilinearly toward and from the anvil 14.

Also, as will be readily understood, the ram has a fixed stroke. Therefore, if the machine is to accommodate a reasonably large range of log lengths, some means of adjusting the position of the cylinder 30 with respect to the anvil must be provided. This is done by making the rails 11 extensible, as hereinbefore indicated. Accordingly, the rails 11 comprise telescoped outer and inner tubes 32 and 33, the former being secured to the cross member 13 and the latter to the cross member 12. A series of holes 34 in each of the inner tubes 33 and cross bolts 35 provide means for securing the telescoped tubes in any of a number of different positions of adjustment, with the cross members 12 and 13 spaced as desired.

The power pack in addition to its engine 24, includes a small convention-a1 gear pump 36, and a tank 37; and flexible hydraulic lines or hoses 38 and 39 which are detachably connected to the outlet of the pump and the inlet of the tank, lead to a control valve 40 mounted on the cross head 17 so that its handle 41 will be conveniently located for manipulation by an operator standing in front of the machine. Other flexible fluid pressure lines 42 and 42 connect the valve with the cylinder of the ram, so that by simply actuating the handle 41 the cross head 17 with the knife fixed thereto may be raised and lowered at will.

It has been found that the shape and construction of the knife is significantly important. As perhaps best seen in FIGURE 3, the knife comprises a base plate 45, a fiat center bar 46, and curved side plates 47. The center bar which has one end thereof rigidly fixed to the base plate, projects perpendicularly therefrom, and the curved side plates are solidly joined to the opposite end of the center bar at the edge portion 48 of the knife, and have their opposite ends welded or otherwise solidly secured to the adjacent edges of the base plate 45. A very rigid structure is thus produced.

The manner in which the curved side plates and the center bar are connected at the edge portion of the knife is not too important, as long as the connection is solid and allows the edge of the knife to be ground to sharpness. Thus it would be suflicient to merely weld these parts together and then grind the resulting weld into a satisfactory cutting edge.

Attention is directed to the fact that the outer concave faces of the side plates 47 are tangent to the ends of the base plate 45 so that no part of the base plate projects therebeyond. Hence, when the knife is mounted in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1, ie transversely of the cross head 17, no part of the machine extends laterally beyond the wide upper end of the wedge to obstruct passage of the upper ends of the log as it is split.

' The splitting of large logs, which usually requires driving the wedge-shaped knife quite far into the log, is best done with the knife mounted transversely, as in FIGURE 1. But, for smaller logs which will split with a shorter stroke of the knife, it may be desirable to have the knife turned 90or, in other words, disposed in alignment with the cross head, as shown in FIGURE 4. With the knife thus oriented, it is easier for the operator to pick up the two halves of the log after it has been split, since both can then be simultaneously grasped by an operator in front of the machine.

To enable the knife to be mounted in either of the two positions indicated, the cross head has four bolt holes 50 equispaced around a circle concentric to the axis of the knife, and the base plate 45 has correspondingly located holes 51 which are tapped to receive cap screws 52. Thus, by placing the knife in its desired position and inserting 4 and tightening the screws 52, the knife can be readily fixed to the cross head in either of its two positions.

As indicated, the shape of the knife as well as its construction is significantly important and, in fact, may be said to be critical.

First, it has been found that the side plates 47 must be concavely curved. This enables the leading portion of the knife to be driven into the log with a minimum of force. After the splitting action is initiated, it is of course obvious that less force is required to continue it. This allows the width of the Wedge or knife to be progressively increased so as to reduce the length of the stroke required to effect the complete splitting operation, without entailing any increase in the force required to drive the wedge into the log. But the increase in width should be progressively acceleratedhence the concavely arcuate shape of the side plates.

Second-the ratio of the width of the wedge-shaped knife to its length is extremely important. The maximum width of the wedge is, of course, the distance between the upper edges of the curved side plates and its length is the perpendicular distance from a plane containing these upper edges to the cutting edge of the knife. For best results, the ratio of these dimensions lies within a relatively narrow range. The ideal condition is depicted in FIGURE 6 by the curve I. This curve is a true arc, that is, an arc of uniform radius, that extends from a point 55 which represents the cutting edge of the knife, to a point A which represents the maximum width of the wedge-shaped knife.

The point A lies on a plane 56 that is normal to the median plane or longitudinal axis 57 of the wedge-shaped knife. Twice the distance from the point A to the median plane 57 is the full maximum width of the wedge, and the distance from the plane 56 to the point 55 is the length of the wedge. machine of the size and capacity best suited to all-around use, these dimensions are 12" and 16", respectively. The ideal ratio of width to length is thus 3 to 4.

The radius of the Arc I is struck from a point IA, which must lie on a plane 58 that is parallel to the plane 56 :and hence normal to the longitudinal axis or median plane 57 of the knife, and which contains the edge of the knife or wedge. For the specific dimensions given, this radius is twenty-four and one-quarter inches (24%).

FIGURE 6 also shows seven other ratios of width to length which, though not as good as the 3 to 4 ratio depicted by the curve I, might be used. These seven other possibilities are identified by the curves II and VIII, inclusive. All of the curves intersect the point 55the knife edgeand have the centers of their radii on the plane 58, where they are identified by the reference characters IIA to VIIIA.

For the seven curves II and VIII, the maximum widths of the wedges represented thereby are identified by the letters B to H; and the ratios of width of wedge to length of wedge represented by this family of curves are as follows:

II 7 to 8 III 5 to 8 IV 4 to 5 V 12 to 17 VI 6 to 7 VII 2 to 3 VIII 2 to 3 For purposes of illustration, for a I includes those specifically illustrated and others that lie within the range established by the illustrated possibilities.

The splitting knife 16 may be removed and replaced by a cutting knife, indicated generally by the numeral 60, as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. The substitution of the knife 60 for the wedge-shaped splitting knife 16 adapts the machine to cross-grain cutting, so that branches of a girth not so large as to require splitting may be cut into pieces of a length suitable for fireplace fuel. To illustrate, branches less than approximately three inches in diameter ordinarily do not have to be split, and with the knife 60 substituted for the wedge-shaped splitting knife 16, the machine of this invention is fully capable of cutting such branches into shorter lengths.

The knife 60 has a base, designated generally by the numeral 61, and which comprises a head or plate 62 and a leg 63 depending perpendicularly therefrom. The head or plate 62 is adapted to fit flat against the underside of the cross head 17 upon removal of the wedge-shaped splitting knife 16, and to enable its attachment to the cross head in lieu of the splitting knife, the head or plate 62 has four tapped holes 64 to receive the cap screws 52. The leg 63 and the plate 62 are welded together into one rigid unit, and to make certain that it has the required rigidity, gussets 65 are welded in position as shown.

The lower end of the leg 63 is stepped, as best shown in FIGURE 8, to provide a downwardly facing shoulder 66 and a convexly curved surface 67 which is perpendicular to the shoulder; and secured to this curved surface 67 is a knife blade 68. The blade 68 is relatively thin and resilient, so that it may be readily flexed around the curved surface 67 to which it is held by cap screws 69 which pass through suitable holes in the blade, to be threaded into tapped holes 70. When the blade is thus secured to the leg, its upper edge 71 bears solidly against the shoulder 66 so that the upward end thrust imposed upon the blade during the cutting action is borne by the shoulder 66.

The lower edge 72 of the blade is, of course, ground sharp.

By virtue of the curved disposition of the blade 68 and its rigid attachment to the leg 63, the blade is secure against deflection so that relatively large branches may be easily cut into shorter lengths, despite the fact that the blade is only about Ms" thick and only a relatively small gasoline engine, such as those used on power lawn mowers, provides the power for the hydraulic pressure pump.

Another form of cutting knife for across grain cutting is illustrated in FIGURE 9. In this case the knife blade 80 is set into a holder plate 81 which is part of a Weldment that includes a head or plate 82 and a pair of reinforcing plates 83, all welded together into a rigid structure. The head or plate 82, like the heads 45 and 62, has four tapped holes 84 to receive the cap screws 52. The holder plate 81 has its lower medial portion cut out, as at 85, and rabbeted as at 86 to a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the blade which snugly fits the rabbeted edge portion of the cutout and is secured thereto by screws 87. The blade 80 is thus ,very solidly supported and securely held against flexure.

It has been found, though, that even this exceptionally rigid and strong mounting for the blade is not enough to prevent fiexure and breakage of the blade unless the anvil upon which the work to be cut rests, contacts only that portion of the work directly adjacent to the cut-ting plane. Accordingly, an anvil attachment 90 has been provided. This device comprises an upright plate 91 welded to a pair of C clamps 92 of a size to straddle and grip the bottom cross member 13. The bottom edges of the plate 91 and the C clamps are coplanar so as to rest solidly upon the top face of the channel which forms the cross member 13, and to enable placement .of the plate 91 in exact alignment with the cutting blade, both ends of the C clamps have clamping screws 93.

Preferably, the top edge of the plate 91 upon which the branch or other piece of wood to be cut is laid, has a groove 94 to receive the knife edge as it finishes its cut.

It has been found that with the cross-grain cutting attachment shown in FIGURE 9, six inch diameter hardwood limbs, such as oak and elm, can be cut without in anywise overloading the machine.

It is also possible to use the machine to split logs into rails suitable for rail fencing. For this purpose the anvil attachment 95 shown in FIGURE 10 is provided. This unit is similar to the attachment in that it is secured to the bottom cross member 13 by means of C clamps 92, but in lieu of a single upright plate it has two upright log supporting members 96 with horizontal rails 97 at the top thereof. The inner edges of these rails are parallel and spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the wedge-shaped knife 16, which is mounted with its edge transverse to the rails so that it may pass between them as it is forced through a log supported on the rails crosswise thereto and longitudinally aligned with the knife edge. With this arrangement logs as long as nine feet and as .much as ten inches in diameter are split in two in one operation.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that this invention provides a very useful log splitting and cutting machine whichby virtue of its novel features is capable of quickly splitting logs and also cutting cross-grain through relativelv large branches.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. In a wood splitting machine having (1) a rigid frame comprising a pair of parallel rails and cross members connecting the opposite end portions of the rails,

(2) anvil means on one of said cross members to support a log or piece of wood to be split,

(3) a cross head slideably mounted on said rails between the cross members,

(4) a splitting knife on said cross head with the edge thereof facing the anvil means to engage a log or piece of wood supported by the anvil means, and

(5) a hydraulic ram connected between the cross head and the other cross member to force the cross head and the splitting knife thereon toward the anvil means,

the hydraulic ram having a fixed maximum stroke and comprising a cylinder member and a piston member, one of said members being connected to the cross head and the other being connected to said other cross member, so that the position of the knife when spaced its maximum distance from the anvil means is dependent upon the spacing between the cross members,

the improvement which resides in the fact that:

(A) the longitudinal rails comprise longitudinally slideably connected elements to enable the spacing between the cross members to be adjusted; and

(B) means for releasably securing said slideably connected elements of the rails against relative movement out of positions at which the cross members are at a selected spacing,

so that the machine may be adjusted to accommodate logs or pieces of wood of different lengths, despite the fact that the hydraulic ram has a fixed maximum stroke.

2. The wood splitting machine of claim 1, wherein the rigid frame is upright and the cross member on which the anvil means is located is at the bottom when the machine is in position of use; and wherein the anvil means oomprises a pair of parallel rails solidly supported above the bottom cross member and spaced apart a distance to permit the knife means with its edge transverse to said rails to pass therebetween.

3. The wood splitting machine of claim 1, wherein the knife comprises:

(A) a flat center bar extending from the cross head toward the edge of the knife and (B) a pair of concavely curved side plates at opposite sides of said flat center bar, joined to,it and to one another at the edge portion of the knife,

(a) the curvature of said concave side plates being arcuate and having radii Wl'llClh originate at centers that lie on a plane which is normal to the flat center bar and substantially contains the edge of the knife.

4. In a wood splitting machine:

(A) anvil means to support a piece of wood to be split;

(B) a wedge-shaped knife; and

(C) means fixed with respect to the anvil means mounting the knife for movement toward and from said anvil means with the edge of the knife facing the anvil means, said knife comprising 1) a base,

(2) a flat center bar fixed to the base and projecting towards the anvil means, and

(3) concavely curved side plates disposed symmetrically with respect to and at opposite sides of the fiat center bar and each having a trailing edge attached to the base and a leading edge secured to the center bar adjacent to the edge of the knife,

(a) the curvature of said concave side plates being substantially arcuate.

5. In a wood splitting machine, the structure set forth in claim 4, wherein the curvature of the concave side plates is truly arcuate and the radii of their arcs originate at centers that lie on a plane which is normal to the flat center bar and substantially contains the edge of the knife.

6. The wood splitting and cutting machine of claim 4, further characterized in that the ratio of the width of the wedge-shaped knife across the trailing edges of its curved side plates to the length of the knife measured from its edge to a plane normal to the flat center bar and containing the trailing edges of its curved side plates is approximately 3 to 4.

7. In a wood splitting and cutting machine:

(A) anvil means to support a piece of wood to be split or cut;

(B) spaced parallel rails fixed with respect to the anvil means and perpendicular thereto;

'(C) a cross head slidably mounted on said rails for rectilinear movement toward and from the anvil means,

( 1) said cross head having a mounting surface facing the anvil means;

(D) a knife assembly comprising a cutting blade, a base, and means securing the cutting blade to the base, the base having a surface facing away from the edge of the cutting blade and shaped to mate with the mounting surface on the cross head;

(E) means for securing said base to the cross head with said surfaces thereof in mating load transmitting engagement,

(1) said securing means and the engaging surfaces of the cross head and base locating the knife assembly in a defined position relative to the cross head and the anvil means, and

(2) the securing means readily detachably securing the base to the cross head so that the knife assembly may be removed and replaced by another knife assembly having -a similar base; and

(F) power means connected with the parallel rails and the cross head to propel the cross head and the knife assembly secured thereto toward the anvil means.

8. The machine 'of claim 7, wherein the cutting blade of the knife assembly has a cutting edge, a back edge spaced from the cutting edge and side edges joining the back and cutting edges, and wherein the base of the knife assembly has a rigid plate fixed thereto and projecting perpendicularly therefrom, said plate being cut out to provide an opening facing away from the base, the marginal portion of the cut out being rabbeted, and the back and side marginal portions of the knife blade being seated in said rabbet; and means removably securing the blade to the plate.

9. The machine of claim 7, wherein the cutting blade of the knife assembly is relatively thin, and wherein said means for securing the blade to the base bows the blade about an axis that is parallel to the path of rectilinear travel of the knife assembly, so that the blade is stiffened against deflection during entry thereof into a piece of wood on the anvil means.

10. The machine of claim 9, further characterized by the fact that the blade has substantially uniform thickness and is resilient, so that it is flat when unconfined.

11. The machine of claim 10, further characterized by:

(A) the fact that the edge of the blade opposite its cutting edge is substantially normal to the path of travel of the knife; and

(B) a stepped portion on the base to which the blade is secured, said stepped portion having (1) a shoulder normal to the path of travel of the knife and against which said edge of the blade bears to impart the forces engendered upon the blade during the cutting action against the base, and

(2) a curved surface perpendicular to said shoulder and against which the blade is clamped by its securing means, so that the act :of securing the blade to the base hows the blade.

12. In a wood splitting machine having (1) a rigid frame comprising a pair of parallel rails and cross members connecting the opposite end portions of the rails,

(2) anvil means on one of said cross members to support a log to be split, with one end of the log engaging the same and its other end facing the other cross member,

(3) a cross head slideably mounted on said rails between the cross members,

(4) a splitting knife on said cross head with the edge thereof facing the anvil means to engage a log or piece of wood supported by the anvil means, and

(5) a hydraulic ram connected between the cross head and said other cross member to force the cross head and the splitting knife thereon toward the anvil means,

the improvement which resides in the fact that each of said parallel rails comprises:

(A) telescopingly connected sections to enable the spacing between the cross members to be adjusted; and

(B) means to releasably lock the telescopingly connected sections of the rails against relative movement so that the machine may be adjusted to accomodate logs of different lengths.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,161,994 6/1939 Burns 83698 FOREIGN PATENTS 210,512 3/ 1956- Australia.

589,705 6/1947 Great Britain. 905,348 8/ 1960 Great Britain.

WILLIAM W. DYER, 111., Primary Examiner.

R. J. ZLOTNIK, Ansistan't Examiner. 

1. IN A WOOD SPLITTING MACHINE HAVING (I) A RIGID FRAME COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL RAILS AND CROSS MEMBERS CONNECTING A PAIR OF PARALLEL RAILS TIONS OF THE RAILS, (2) ANVIL MEANS ON ONE OF SAID CROSS MEMBERS TO SUPPORT A LOG OR PIECE OF WOOD TO BE SPLIT, (3) A CROSS HEAD SLIDEABLY MOUNTED ON SAID RAILS BETWEEN THE CROSS MEMBERS, (4) A SPLITTING KNIFE ON SAID CROSS HEAD WITH THE EDGE THEREOF FACING THE ANVIL MEANS TO ENGAGE A LOG OR PIECE OF WOOD SUPPORTED BY THE ANVIL MEANS, AND (5) A HYDRAULIC RAM CONNECTED BETWEEN THE CROSS HEAD AND THE OTHER CROSS MEMBER TO FORCE THE CROSS HEAD AND THE SPLITTING KNIFE THEREON TOWARD THE ANVIL MEANS. THE HYDRAULIC RAM HAVING A FIXED MAXIMUM STROKE AND COMPRISING A CYLINDER MEMBER AND A PISTON MEMBER, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING CONNECTED TO THE CROSS HEAD AND THE OTHER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID OTHER CROSS MEMBER, SO THAT THE POSI TION OF THE KNIFE WHEN SPACED ITS MAXIMUM DISTANCE FROM THE ANVIL MEANS IS DEPENDENT UPON THE SPACING BETWEEN THE CROSS MEMBERS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH RESIDES IN THE FACT THAT: 